Seattle Information Technology

The City of Seattle has hired Kate Garman to run the City’s Smart City program that will leverage technology to improve the lives of Seattle residents. The Smart City program will implement and manage policies, partnerships, systems, platforms, and networks that ensure the security and manageability of our Smart City environment and that ensure that the technology is deployed and managed responsibly and in accordance with our privacy and digital equity commitments.

“Seattle strives to become a smarter city, responsibly use new technologies and data to improve our community’s quality of life. This means bringing together stakeholders from across the city to understand when these technologies can provide value, and to facilitate deployment in a manner trusted by our community,” said Chief Technology Officer Michael Mattmiller. “We are excited to have a proven leader like Kate help us advance our efforts in this space.”

As the Smart City Coordinator, Garman will collaborate with staff across City departments to develop a strategy that ensures the City’s Smart City projects are running smoothly and efficiently and are following City standards and policies. The Smart City strategy will work to ensure that Smart City solutions are supportable and maintainable by Seattle IT and appropriate City department staff. For example, a long-term strategy will be to have data from the Smart City program flowing through the Open Data portal. Smart City projects will also need to be managed responsibly in accordance with the City’s privacy and digital equity principles.

“Kate brings a wealth of experience and a collaborative approach to developing innovative smart city projects. Kansas City is a model for how cities can use technology to operate more efficiently, provide better service, and improve people’s quality of life. I’m very excited that Kate is joining us in Seattle to help accelerate our smart city work,” said Seattle’s Digital Engagement Director Jim Loter.

The Seattle Department of Transportation, Seattle Fire Department, Seattle City Light, and Seattle Public Utilities all have plans underway to implement Smart City projects in the coming years. These projects will streamline traffic flow, foster economic development, and enhance aspects of the city’s livability, workability, and sustainability.

Garman previously worked as the Innovation Policy Advisor for the City of Kansas City, Missouri. She served as the legal and policy analyst of the Office of Innovation which included drafting ordinances and policy recommendations to foster a culture of innovation in Kansas City. She managed the Innovation Partnership Program, a civic entrepreneurship program that helps pilot technology solutions at City Hall. She has a journalism degree from the University of Kansas and a law degree from the University of Missouri Kansas City School of Law.

“I’m really excited to bring my experience and knowledge from my work in Kansas City to the Smart City Coordinator position in Seattle,” said Garman. “This work will be important in the future innovation of Seattle, and I look forward to working together with city departments and connecting with the community as we move forward.”